Ben Starr

The Ultimate Food Geek

Tag: pumpkin

  • Pumpkin Caramel Tiramisu

    Tiramisu is Italian for “Hey you, pick me up!”  Traditionally it’s a layered dessert of tiny cakes called ladyfingers soaked in espresso, and mascarpone (an Italian cream cheese pronounced “MOSS-car-PONE-eh” and NO OTHER WAY).  You know me, and I find a way to put pumpkin in everything, so this is my VERY special version of…

  • Pumpkin Carrot Pancakes with Candied Nuts

    I adapted my now famous Pumpkin Carrot Cake recipe into a simple pancake recipe for my Christmas special at the Kenmore Live Studios, and this is a much simpler way to enjoy the same flavors you get from my very complex and time consuming MasterChef cake. In a bowl, combine: 2 cups all purpose flour…

  • Pumpkin Gingerbread Pancakes

    Pumpkin is my favorite ingredient.  In the autumn, you’d be hard pressed to find me making a dish that doesn’t include pumpkin, and I’m legendary for finding ways to use it in almost every dish. These pancakes have been served every morning after my annual fall dinner party for years.  They’re always a hit. 2…

  • Pumpkin Bourbon Pecan Pie

    A video tutorial for this recipe is located at the bottom of the page… I love to bake, especially pies, even though I don’t eat dessert most of the time.  However, my two favorite pies in the world are pecan pie and, naturally, pumpkin pie.  My friends finally convinced me to meld the two pies…

  • Pumpkin Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

    Cheesecakes aren’t easy or cheap to make, they are wickedly high in calories, but they hold this mystique over humans that is unmatched by any other dessert.  Of course, I have LOADS of cheesecake recipes, but this is my personal favorite.  As you’ll notice, I use the long-slow bake method for cheesecakes.  I did the…

  • Ben Starr’s Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Hazelnuts

    **Please note, instructions for making this into cupcakes are located at the bottom of the “cake” section of the recipe. This is the cake that I get demands for every October at my annual Fall Dinner Party, where I serve a 5 course meal with each course based on pumpkin. Regardless of what unique, delicious…

  • Fresh Pumpkin Pie (NO cans!)

    So everyone’s got a recipe for pumpkin pie, and here’s the best one.  (An instructional video for this recipe is located at the bottom.) Of course, the best one involves nothing from a can, which means WORK.  I’ll throw you some shortcuts the deeper we get into the recipe, but if you want to make…

  • Crispy Eggplant in Pumpkin Coconut Curry

    Indian food runs a close second to Thai food for me, in terms of complexity and deliciousness!  Curries, which are remarkably simple between Thailand and India, are savory sauces with a complex blend of sweet, sour, spicy, and savory notes.  My favorite curries are the ones with a coconut milk base, rather than a broth…

  • Pumpkin Apple Gingerbread

    I made this recipe for a demonstration at Le Cordon Bleu’s campus in Scottsdale.  An instructional video is at the bottom of this recipe.  This is a loaf-style gingerbread, with enormous depth of flavor thanks to molasses and coffee in the mix, lightened and brightened with bits of apple, earthy with pumpkin, and spicy with…

  • Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

    I’m famous for cooking with pumpkin, and I use it all year, not just during the holidays.  This is a recipe that always brings them running.  The sweet spiciness of the pumpkin bread is countered by the tartness of the cranberries. While canned pumpkin is available year-round, fresh cranberries are not.  So I buy about…